The present invention pertains to mapping and routing systems and pertains particularly to road mapping that takes into account dynamic road conditions.
Global positioning system (GPS) user equipment consists of an antenna, a signal processing unit, and associated electronics and displays. The GPS user equipment receives signals from the global positioning system satellites to obtain position, velocity, and time solution.
GPS systems have been combined with detailed electronic maps to aid in the navigation of automobiles. For example, Garmin International, Inc., distributes a StreetPilot(trademark) GPS navigation tool that contains a reference base map showing Interstate, U.S., and State highways, plus rivers and lakes in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, with main arterial streets shown in metropolitan areas. Plug-ins can be used for street-level map detail and access to business listings and points of interest in a particular area. Upon entry of a street address or points of interest (such as restaurants, hotels, gas stations, banks, and shopping areas), the navigation tool will display the location on a map along with current vehicle location. See, StreetPilot(trademark) GPS owner""s manual and reference guide available from Garmin International, Inc., 1200 E. 151st Street, Olathe, Kans. 66062, 1999-2000, pp. viii, 14-18.
While GPS systems can be of significant help to travelers, current systems when performing routing do not take into account dynamic road conditions such as construction, accidents or daily traffic patterns. This can result in selection of a route that is less than optimal.
In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention mapping information is presented to a user. Information about dynamic road conditions is integrated into static mapping data to generate dynamic mapping data. The dynamic mapping data is displayed to a user via a display.
For example, the dynamic road conditions are obtained from a detector that detects dynamic road conditions. The detector is, for example, a safety warning system detector. Alternatively, the detector may be some other type of detecting device such as a radar detector. The information about dynamic road conditions can also be obtained from a wireless service that accumulates information about dynamic road conditions. Any information about dynamic road conditions obtained from a detector that detects dynamic road conditions can be forwarded to the wireless service to make the information available to other users with access to the wireless service.
Also, in the preferred embodiments of the present invention positioning information is used to display to the user a current position relative to the dynamic mapping data. For example the positioning information is obtained from a global positioning system (GPS) or from some other positioning methodology.
In order to generate an optimal route for travel between two locations, information about dynamic road conditions can be integrated into mapping data. For example, integration of dynamic road conditions can include adjusting estimated traveling speeds when traversing roadways or highways affected by dynamic road conditions. Thus, the mapping data used for routing information is modified to take into account the known dynamic road conditions in order to generate dynamic routing data. Based on the dynamic routing data, routing information (e.g., an optimum route) is generated.
The present invention solves the problem of dynamically routing vehicles around road construction, accidents and speed traps.